Rangers' Lundqvist roughed up in his return

Thursday

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher sounded as though the Lightning had lost even though they extended their winning streak to five.

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher sounded as though the Lightning had lost even though they extended their winning streak to five.

A bad third period can do that.

Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 21st goal and had two assists, and the Lightning beat the Rangers 5-3 on Wednesday night.

The Lightning held a 5-0 lead entering the final frame, but a lackluster final 20 minutes, in which the Rangers scored three times, left Boucher in a foul mood.

"It's a lack of respect for the opponent, a lack of respect for our standards," Boucher said. "Everything in the third period just showed that we lacked respect. Unacceptable, and the players know it. It leaves a real bad taste."

Stamkos also has 17 assists for a league-leading 38 points in 22 games. The center has had a point in all but three games.

Ryan Malone added two goals for the Lightning. He entered with just three goals in 33 previous games against the Rangers.

The Rangers, who had won five of seven, got third-period goals from Steve Eminger, Brian Boyle and Derek Stepan. The Rangers went more than 15 minutes without a shot from late in the first period until well into the second, and were outshot 25-7 through 40 minutes.

"We just looked brain dead through the first part of the game," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "Why? I don't know."

Stamkos gave Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead at 4:53 of the second period from the low slot off a pass from Steve Downie during a 3-on-1 break.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (7-8-1) had another rough night in his return to the net.

He allowed five goals on 34 shots.

"It seems like when he's played, we haven't played very well in front of him and it's not fair for him," Rangers center Brandon Dubinsky said.

Backup goalie Martin Biron started the previous two games after replacing Lundqvist last Friday in the Rangers' 5-1 loss at Colorado.

Malone put the Lightning ahead 1-0 with an in-close, power-play goal at 7:06 of the first. It ended a stretch of 24 consecutive short-handed situations that the Rangers had killed.

Tampa Bay then converted its second power play of the game to make it 2-0. Malone scored a rebound goal from the low slot with 4:23 left in the first.

The Rangers have trailed after the first period three times — all losses — in 23 games this season.

Brett Clark, on the power play, and Victor Hedman had second-period goals as Tampa Bay took a 5-0 lead.

Eminger ended goalie Mike Smith's shutout bid with his first goal in 21 games early in the third. Boyle later scored a short-handed goal before Stepan added a power-play tally with 1:04 left.

Rangers forward Sean Avery got an instigator penalty, a fighting major and 10-minute misconduct midway through the third. Mattias Ohlund had a hard check on New York's Erik Christensen, which prompted Avery to go after the Lightning defenseman, who received just a fighting penalty

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.